Comics Of Note, February 19th

It’s something of a light week this week, but there are plenty of comics on the stands to read. Here’s a look at what’s new from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, IDW, Boom!, Valiant, and some notable indie books.

New Warriors #1

Marvel

Christopher Yost and Marcus To try to bring a little lighthearted fun back to the New Warriors. Plotwise, the book’s actually quite zippy; within a few minutes, we know there’s somebody out to wipe certain types of superhumans off the map. And it does at least introduce the whole team, but we don’t spend enough time with them to get to know them well enough. Still, a solid launch and a fun little team book.

Dexter Down Under #1

Marvel

Somebody needs to give Jeff Lindsay a course in writing for comics. This has all the flaws of his previous Dexter miniseries, alas, although it is at least mildly amusing. Dalibor Talajic at least gets to draw some beautiful Australian scenery and get a paycheck for it, but this is definitely written for the trade, and you should purchase accordingly.

Undertow #1

Image

Steve Orlando and Artyom Trakhanov deliver what’s undeniably one of the most oddball pulp comics in a while: The citizens of Atlantis, in the time of the cavemen, roaming the surface world, looking for a way to be free. It’s a strange read, to say the least, although Trakhanov’s gorgeous art makes it all go down smoothly. And it may not be for everybody, but it’s definitely something unique. Worth having a read to see for yourself.

Terminator: The Enemy Of My Enemy #1

Dark Horse

Currently being used for a somewhat lackluster maxiseries, Dan Jolley and Jamal Igle show us how to do a Terminator story right with a sharp, smart, and fast first issue. There are plenty of parts in play here, but Jolley defines them quickly and carefully, and Igle’s art makes the action scenes pop. If you’re a Terminator fan, this is a book you have to pick up.

The White Suits #1

Dark Horse

Frank Barbiere and Toby Cypress try to mix noir and espionage to limited results. Barbiere’s script has its engaging moments, but also its tiresomely “edgy” ones, and Cypress’ art is simultaneously too grotesque and too loose to work with the book. It’s a bit like a New Yorker cartoon scripted by somebody after a Quentin Tarantino binge. It’s not bad, and it’s got promise, but it feels like some tightening is in order.

Loki: Ragnarok and Roll #1

Boom! Studios

Eric Esquivel and Jerry Gaylord deliver a… rather more sympathetic look at the trickster god. Screwed over by his family and dumped on Earth, Loki, it turns out, fits in pretty well with the rock club crowd. It’s an amusing conceit, but the book doesn’t do as much with it in the first issue as you’d like. Still, Gaylord’s lighthearted art is well-suited to the story, and if nothing else, it’s a fun little idea.

The Undertaker Morton Stone #1

Gary Chaloner tries to deliver a quirky, dark tale of Gothic murder and vengeance and… well, honestly it comes up a little short. It doesn’t quite know if it wants to be a darkly serious book or a black comedy, so it falls a bit flat on both fronts, and the combination of Templesmith and Ashley Wood overlaid with piles of text makes for an unusually crabbed and uncomfortable read. This will definitely have an audience, but the sooner it picks a tone, the better.

GoGetters #1

Shawn Aldridge and Christopher Peterson try to deliver a quirky series about a girl and her white gorilla who are also bounty hunters. As you may have guessed, it feels a bit forced on the quirkiness: Our heroine doesn’t just call people random names, she calls them random celebrity names. Honestly, it’s cute, but it feels disjointed and trying a little too hard. Peterson’s art is funny and fun, though, and that might make the difference for some readers.

RoboCop: Momento Mori

Boom! Studios

Frank Barbiere and João Vieira deliver a pretty compelling one-shot about a simple question: While he was being turned into RoboCop… what happened to Alex Murphy? It’s a trippy dream of a book, supported quite well by Vieira’s art and Ruth Redmond’s subtly psychedelic coloring work. A well-done one-shot, perfect for RoboCop fans.

X-Files: Conspiracy: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

IDW Publishing

Yes, the title could use some work, but you read that right; two of the most beloved properties of the ’90s cross over, courtesy of Ed Brisson, Michael Walsh and Adam Gorham. It’s… actually fairly amusing, albeit it doesn’t quite pay off the way you might hope from how it’s pitched. Nonetheless, it’s an amusing book that ties in well with what IDW is doing elsewhere.

LCBS owner screwed up on the order for New Warriors (ordered 25 variants and none of the regular cover) & Diamond shorted Quantum & Woody among other things. So, this week is Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Supergirl (the prequel to GL/RL 28), Amazing & Uncanny X-Men, Bloodshot, & Unity. Plus, because 40% off, I picked up Spider-Man: Reign because I loved it when I read it on Comixology.

Sososososo glad that Amazing X has found it’s legs. I praise Jason Aaron, I was worried that Amazing wouldn’t capture the flow of W&XM but it has.

If you told me that Avengers World was going to be better than Avengers proper in 3 issues I would have slapped you. But Nick Spencer is killing it right now. It’s hard sometimes when you consume so many comics for so long that you become jaded with last page cliffhangers (like Marvel is going to kill title character/the world will actually be destroyed), but I have no idea how AW is going to get resolved. Also, Shang-Chi is the tits.

I’m starting to like Nathan Edmonson’s Punisher more than the Rucka run real fast.

Last note, what I like so much about the Valiant connected universe is that the stories are global (read: not 90% in NYC), so I sincerely applaud ANMN for moving characters around the country. Frank in LA, and now Daredevil in San Fran, I like where it’s all headed.